"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." -T.S. Eliot

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Exiting the First Draft Haze

What follows in my attempt at a light-hearted, not wallowing in self pity post.

I completed a MS a few weeks ago. It rode me hard, wouldn’t let me alone, and pestered me until I finished. It took me around thirty days to write the 65,000 words. Below is a list of things I stopped doing while navigating the brain haze of a new manuscript.

10 – Walking my dogs. (Or playing with my dogs. Or doing more than occasionally rubbing their belly’s while working out a plot point.)

11 - Watching the 20+ hours of TV now waiting on my DVR. (I am not kidding. The only thing I’ve been watching is American Idol, and just because getting behind isn’t an option.)

That said, now I am on to revisions. I usually like to take at least a month before I begin, let the MS sit and marinate, then return to work on edits. This story will not let me do that. The intense pressure has lifted, but instead of disappearing it gave way to a constant throb. It’s not gone. I am about halfway through a rewrite of some plot/character issues. I’ll try and take another 2 weeks off after this one before I start another, more nitpicky revision.

I, like all authors, do several revisions before I put down a story. Notice I didn’t say finish a story, because they aren’t ever really finished. The first pass goes fast, depending on how many holes need to be plugged after the first draft. The second one focuses more on grammar, word choice, and sentence structure. Also, getting rid of those pesky words like ‘that, seem(s)(ed), and anything ending in –ly. Passive voice. Dialogue that doesn’t work. The third (hopefully) cleans up what the first two miss.

What are your editing processes like, writer friends? Longer than mine? Shorter? Just different? What do you forgot to do when you are deep in a first draft?

PS. For more great thoughts on editing/revising, check out Elisabeth Black’s similar post.

I'm with you on stories and their inability to leave us writers alone. I'm working on major rewrites for my MS now, and decided to focus on ten chapters at a time so as to save what's left of my sanity.

Blow dry my hair? Am I supposed to do that? And EVERYONE knows you don't shave your legs in the winter. Duh. My children have lived on a diet of chicken nuggets, pizza and cereal since November. I hear you.

Hang in there with those revisions. Your story is awesome and worth all the hard work.

Funny list. The only thing different about my editing process is having to defend plot points and character actions to my wife. She always makes me think things in new ways, which often leads to gaping mistakes that must be considered. :)

This was great! I don't give up much when I'm busy with writing; I just scream at everyone who bothers me. For the record, it's okay to skip leg shaving if you're keeping your underarms up (at least that's what I tell myself).

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About Me

I write stuff. Sometimes it's halfway decent. My post-apocalyptic YA novel, IN THE AUTUMN, is currently being revised and I hope to go on submission soon. I'm represented by the lovely and supportive Elizabeth Jote of Objective Entertainment. I spend my free time seeing movies, reading, and eating Hershey's Kisses. Oh, also I love tennis. With a passion.